Terminals for electrical wiring are punched from ribbons of metal, and the ribbons, with terminals punched therein, are wound onto reels and shipped to customers. The customers mount the reels onto appropriate machinery which clips the terminals from the ribbons and attached them to appropriate wiring. Such reels typically can vary from about a half inch to about two inches thick and about eight pounds to about 45 pounds per reel. Heretofore, such reels have been shipped in open-top containers which have required the person unloading the reels to bend over the edge of the container to lift the reels out. Such motion can cause back strain or worse.
The present invention contemplates a reusable container that can be placed on a table or support at approximately waist height (i.e., of the unloader), and that permits access to the inside of the container via the side thereof so that little or no bending is required to lift the reel out of the container. The container will be sufficiently rigid and durable as to be able to contain the reels during the often severe jostling that occurs during the shipping and handling of the containers.